Origin: Finland  
Genres: Traditional Metal
INACTIVE
Official Site
Page online: June 22, 2004
Last update/review: April 29, 2011

Tarot

Tarot has had a long and successful career in their native Finland, and remain one of that country's top metal bands, though they aren't as well known outside their homeland. Formed in the early eighties by the Hietala brothers Marco and Zachary, they debuted in 1986 with Spell Of Iron and have regularly, if infrequently, recorded ever since. Their style embodies the spirit of plain old down-to-earth traditional heavy metal -- not thrash, or doom, or poppy hard rock, just no-nonsense straightforward metal, accessible without pandering to commercialism, delivered with class and professionalism. Marco Hietala joined another high-profile Finnish band (Nightwish) a few years ago, which is at least partially responsible for the band's relative inactivity of late. But the band is still active, and still producing quality albums, with Crows Fly Black, their first album in three years and first with new lead vocalist Tommi Salmela, released in 2006.

Last Lineup

Tommi Salmela

vocals

Marco Hietala

vocals/bass (ex-Nightwish, ex-Sinergy, ex-To/Die/For)

Zachary Hietala

guitars

Janne Tolsa

keyboards (Eternal Tears Of Sorrow, Turmion Kätilöt)

Former Members/Guests

Mako H.

guitars

Pecu Cinnari

drums RIP: September 10, 2016, age 50


Discography



The Spell Of Iron  
1987 Flamingo
  1. Midwinter Nights
  2. Dancing On The Wire
  3. Back In The Fire
  4. Love's Not Made For My Kind
  5. Never Forever
  6. Spell Of Iron
  7. De Mortui Nil Nisi Bene
  8. Pharao
  9. Wings Of Darkness
  10. Things That Crawl At Night
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Mako H.
  • Pecu Cinnari


Follow Me Into Madness  
1988 Flamingo
  1. Descendants Of Power
  2. Rose On The Grave
  3. Lady Deceiver
  4. Follow Me Into Madness
  5. Blood Runs Cold / Happy End
  6. No Return
  7. I Don't Care Anymore
  8. Breathing Fire
  9. I Spit Venom
  10. Shadow In My Heart
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Mako H.
  • Pecu Cinnari


To Live Forever  
1993 Bluelight
  1. Do You Wanna Live Forever
  2. The Colour Of Your Blood
  3. The Invisible Hand
  4. Live Hard Die Hard
  5. Sunken Graves
  6. The Chosen
  7. Born Into The Flame
  8. In My Blood
  9. Tears Of Steel
  10. My Enslaver
  11. Shame
  12. Iron Stars
  13. Children Of The Grave
  14. Guardian Angel
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


To Live Again  LIVE
1994 Zero
  1. Children Of The Grave
  2. Live Hard Die Hard
  3. Iron Stars
  4. No Return
  5. Tears Of Steel
  6. Breathing Fire
  7. Midwinter Nights
  8. Wings Of Darkness
  9. Rose On The Grave
  10. Things That Crawl At Night
  11. Dancing On The Wire
  12. Lady Deceiver
  13. The Colour Of Your Blood
  14. The Chosen
  15. Kill The King
  16. Do You Wanna Live Forever
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


Stigmata  
1995 Bluelight
  1. Angels Of Pain
  2. E.T.I
  3. Shades In Glass
  4. As One
  5. State Of Grace
  6. Race The Light
  7. Expected To Heal
  8. Sleepless
  9. The Teeth
  10. Stigmata
  11. Live Hard Die Hard
  12. Iron Stars
  13. No Return
  14. Breathing Fire
  15. Dancing On The Wire
  16. Wings Of Darkness
  17. Rose On The Grave
  18. The Chosen
  19. Kill The King
  20. Do You Wanna Live Forever
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


For The Glory Of Nothing  
1998 Bluelight
  1. Crawlspace
  2. Warhead
  3. I'm Here
  4. Shining Black
  5. Beyond Troy
  6. Dark Star Burning
  7. The Scourger
  8. Ghosts Of Me
  9. The Punishment
  10. Ice
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


Shining Black  COMPILATION
1999 Zero,Bluelight
  1. Midwinter Nights
  2. Back In The Fire
  3. Wings Of Darkness
  4. Descendants Of Power
  5. Rose On The Grave
  6. No Return
  7. Lady Deceiver
  8. Do You Wanna Live Forever
  9. Live Hard Die Hard
  10. Iron Stars
  11. Angels Of Pain
  12. Crawlspace
  13. Dark Star Burning
  14. State Of Grace
  15. Children Of The Grave (live)
  16. Kill The King (live)


Suffer Our Pleasures  
2003 Spinefarm
  1. I Rule
  2. Pyre Of Gods
  3. Rider Of The Last Day
  4. Follow The Blind
  5. Undead Son
  6. Of Time And Dust
  7. From The Void
  8. Convulsions
  9. From The Shadows
  10. Painless
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


Crows Fly Black  
2006 King Foo
  1. Crows Fly Black
  2. Traitor
  3. Ashes to the Stars
  4. Messenger of Gods
  5. Before the Skies Come Down
  6. Tides
  7. Bleeding Dust
  8. You
  9. Howl!
  10. Grey
  • Tommi Salmela
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


Undead Indeed  VIDEO
2008 Nuclear Blast


Gravity Of Light  
2010
  1. Satan Is Dead
  2. Hell Knows
  3. Rise!
  4. The Pilot Of All Dreams
  5. Magic And Technology
  6. Calling Down The Rain
  7. Caught In The Deadlights
  8. I Walk Forever
  9. Sleep In The Dark
  10. Gone
  • Tommi Salmela
  • Marco Hietala
  • Zachary Hietala
  • Janne Tolsa
  • Pecu Cinnari


The Spell Of Iron MMXI  
2011 King Foo



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